


In Sympathy

by flowersforgraves



Series: please help I'm in depeche mode hell [19]
Category: Drunks and Dragons (Podcast)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canonical Character Death, F/M, Gen, Grief/Mourning, No Dialogue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-10
Updated: 2019-01-10
Packaged: 2019-10-07 15:42:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17368709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flowersforgraves/pseuds/flowersforgraves
Summary: Thom and Ros mourn after the events of episode 30.prompt: subtle kindnesses





	In Sympathy

Thom kicks the side of the _Chumguzzler_. It’s a sturdy ship, and far too big for him to damage, but he’s hurting and he needs to take it out somehow. Watching Tum die, helpless to stop it, is jarring. He’d watched Junpei die before, and Tum has died before, but this is different, cold and final and heavy in his chest.

It’s not like he hasn’t seen death before. They’ve been in so many fights since waking up in Shadowspar Keep, and he’s killed so many other creatures that it doesn’t faze him a bit. He’s killed, he’s come close to death himself, hell, Junpei’s head exploded in front of all of them. But drowning? That’s no death for a warrior. It’s fucking magickal trickery, is what it is, and it’s not fucking fair.

Ros comes to join him, stands silently next to him. She doesn’t offer comfort, doesn’t try to distract him. He’s grateful for that, as far as it goes, because he can’t express in words what he’s feeling, and he knows he’ll only lash out if anyone speaks to him. 

He kicks the ship again. Of course, Ros casts a sharp look at him; it is after all her ship, her pride and joy. But Thom can’t bring himself to feel guilty for it, because Tum Darkblade is dead and there is nothing he can do to change it. He wonders vaguely if this is heartbreak, because his range of emotions has so far only been “horny” and “hungry” and “angry” and “bloodlust” (a combination of all three).

Ros bumps his arm with her shoulder. He turns to look at her, and it registers for the first time since they’ve been back how tired she looks. Her eyes are tired, shoulders slumped, and she smells like salt, sweat and tears and sea-spray. Thom reaches out without thinking, wraps an arm around her shoulders and pulls her in close. 

Her head thumps against his chest, and she leans into him. He leans back -- he trusts her to hold him, trusts her strength and discretion. It won’t be good if anyone else finds out he’s been so upset, and he figures if anyone has to see him cry, Aludra’s already seen and far better Ros than Xantolin or any of the other boatmen.

They stay together, silent and stoic in their grief as they stare out to sea. Thom inhales, smells the smoke in her hair, and she looks up at him, understanding.


End file.
